Lavender Cotton
Latin Name – Santolina chamaecyparissus
Shown here instu, the Lavender Cotton has highly scented foliage, and gives a reliable show of yellow ball-like flowers each year. They can create a bit of a tangle and need to be cut back just enough to tidy them before winter, and maybe a bit more at the advent of Spring.
The abundance of small yellow balls of flower are produced on long stalks in July. They can get a little unruly, but they are worth it for their extravagant display of flowers.
A close up of the foliage demonstrates the reasoning behind the specific name – chamaecyparissus – meaning ‘like the Chamaecyparis’ which are the Cypress Trees.
Finally the different species, Santolina virens, which produces creamy coloured button-like flowers.